If you’re viewing this page on a phone or tablet, please turn to view in landscape mode, thank you. If you can’t see the list of services on the right hand side please use the connecting links or scroll down for these and other events and information.

Current news and updates.

Ukraine

We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, and also for those in Russia. Let’s also remember the countless other people in Yemen, Syria and so many other countries in our trouble world.

Click here for a letter from our Archbishops.

Click here for a form of prayer from the 24-7 Prayer group (Lectio 365)

The On The Way process continues moving towards the next meeting with the Episcopal College where the Deanery Plan will be discussed. The On The Way teams are now working to finalise the plan having gained support for the process from Deanery Synod following on from the succesful roadshow presentations.

Dates for your prayers please!

Monday 16^th May 4pm Episcopal College will meet with the Rural Dean

Monday 20^th June 1130am Bishop’s Sign Off

Thursday 30 June 7pm Deanery Synod Sign Off

The timelines are tight, and we must be in no doubt that our churches will be forever changed by this process. We know that the models of church that we have are no longer serving us well, so we must seek and implement new structures that are fruitful and sustainable for the future.

You can help in the following ways

1. Join in the discussions as they happen
2. Pray for us all to understand how the church in this area can be fruitful and sustainable:

• Use the On The Way prayer in your daily prayers
• Attend the Diocese On The Wayprayer meeting every Thursday at 0830hrs using this Zoom link

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuceqspj4vG9wwbcesMTIqT_RDmatPQgXc

• Other updates are now available on the Deanery website – click here to visit that page.
• You can find out more about On the Way on the Diocesan website here that includes a video from Bishop Philip.
• Bishop Philip recently gave a very pertinent Presidential Address at the recent Diocesan Synod meeting where he shared his vision of the Church in Cornwall. Read it in full here.

Our Worship

Details of our regular Sunday worship and church life online in midweek and on Sunday evening, can be found here. Our online services are led by Rev Lynn and the Ministry Team using Zoom software. These include morning and evening prayer and are on most days of the week.  Please contact Rev Lynn if you would like to join us, there is no requirement to live within our benefice, you would be most welcome! With our now having services in both in church and online on Zoom, we have become a “hybrid” church – a church that recognises that it is the being together that counts, more than where you are sitting, to worship God. (Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash)

Home/Small Groups

Home Groups will be launching in the Benefice this September.  Those of you who have previously been involved in such groups will know that Home Groups are an important part of nurturing a church community, they keep the fire of faith burning between Sundays and therefore raise the spiritual temperature that we start from on a Sunday – we’ve already seen this effect through the weekday Zoom services.

The groups will meet weekly at a time to suit the group members and each group would have 6-8 people. The groups can use the time to discuss that week’s sermon, for prayer and fellowship.

Home Groups need a leader and a host, this may be the same person or it may be two people who pair up to run a Home Group.  Hospitality (Gospeltality!) is a key part of this; however it doesn’t need to take place in someone’s home.  Zoom could also be used to help accessibility for a group – although that does make offering coffee and cake slightly harder!

Thank you to those who have responded, we do have space for more groups though.  Once our leaders are in place, we will be looking for group members.  If leading is not for you, at this moment, do keep an eye out for information on how to join a group.

Rev. Laura in Windsor

Rev. Laura has just returned from an exhilirating week at St. George’s House, Windsor where she represented the faith sector at the Windsor Leadership Trust (WLT). The WLT was a process started by the late Prince Philip to “effect change for the better in our society by nurturing wisdom through dialogue”.  From this WLT was created to focus on the top levels of leadership as the need for exceptional leadership to tackle the big issues in society become apparent.Please read the full details in the monthly newsletter.

Platinum Jubilee

Our local communities have lots of plans for this celebration.  The final day of the four day Platinum Jubilee celebration, Sunday 5 June, is also Pentecost Sunday. We are asked to invite our community to church – that’s where the Queen spends time in worship each Sunday, so it makes a perfect end to four fantastic days celebrating her faith and service.

Make the connection between the Queen’s 70 years of service, her Coronation anointing and the Holy Spirit anointing available to everyone.

Our services that day will be:

10am Holy Communion at Sheviock

10am Morning Prayer at Downderry

7pm Evening Worship on Zoom

• Our monthly newsletter can be read/downloaded here.

The next Messy Church at St Germans Priory will be Saturday 7th May, 10-12 noon.

Pub theology continues online, now moved to Monday evening, monthly.

• St Nics lunches
  • Community lunch Wednesday 18th May at 12 noon

• St Germans Priory
  
• Next concert – Valley Voices, Friday 20th May at 7.30pm. For other events please follow the link
• Meetings….. St Germans APCM will be on Sunday 8th May after the service at The Priory.
• Click here for details of the events above.

• Covid restrictions – we are currently reviewing our policies in the light of the forthcoming removal of restrictions.  We remain mindful of the government emphasis on all of us taking care of our own well being and safety. Our policies are designed to respect those in our congregations who are more vulnerable, and those who wish to continue with the restrictions. Mindful of the anxieties from our congregation and visitors, the churches have a responsibility to support public health. We will therefore continue to strongly encourage all our visitors to wear face coverings, sanitise hands and register with the Test and Trace system when visiting or worshiping.
  • In addition, our worship patterns will remain the same. We will continue with singing of hymns, but with masks, which may be uncomfortable.
  • Holy Communion will continue to be in one kind (the bread) only. We will continue to remain in our seats for the sharing of the peace.
  • We will continue our strict cleaning regimes.
  • All our churches are open to visitors as places of interest, prayer and reflection.
  • We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation and may change our advice as deemed necessary.

Online options

There are many options for worship and prayer online….

Or you could still listen to one of the many radio options – Radio 4, Radio Cornwall offer services on a Sunday around 8am.

Or you could look at: Church of England website that now has more services to join – or at many churches and cathedrals up and down the country who have other offerings

A very good resource is https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

Browse a whole range of prayers you can choose from to read – or listen to:

Or using your computer, tablet or phone (as you prefer) and from your web browser access morning and evening prayer using this link:

Click here and choose what you need.

To read or hear the prayer for today, click on this link: http://cofe.io/TodaysPrayer

Browse around the various pages and you’re sure to find something that interests you.

Alternatively download an App for your tablet or phone. Church House Publishing or provide a number of these Apps and these can be downloaded from https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/daily-prayer

Parish Contacts

Parish Priest: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker – main point of contact for all matters

Curate: Rev. Laura Bushell-Hawke

Parish Wardens: Paul Gribble and Rosemary Stevenson

Readers/Licensed Lay Ministers: Richard Laugharne, Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, David Watters, Matt Frost

For weddings, baptisms, funerals and church services:  Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Children’s work: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, Evelyn Reed, David Watters, Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, Rev Laura Bushell-Hawke

Messy Church: Evelyn Reed

For buildings and general parish enquiries: the Parish Wardens:   Paul Gribble and Rosemary Stevenson

For Safeguarding:  Rev Laura Bushell-Hawke

Pastoral Visitors Team:  Pat Paxton

Parish Giving Scheme:  Paul Gribble

Finances: the Treasurer, Paul Gribble

Electoral Roll: Rosemary Stevenson

Enquiries about individual churches:

Downderry:  Andrew Pidgen

Hessenford: Fran Moore

St Germans: Richard Laugharne

Tideford: Evelyn Reed

Deanery Synod Reps:  David Watters,  Rosemary Stevenson and Paul Gribble

Cashiers: Peter Daw – St Germans; Tim Pullin – Downderry; Hugh Parker – Tideford and Fiona Bristow – Hessenford.

Additional PCC Members from May 2020

Tim Pullin, Stephen Guffick, Tilly Thompson, Yvonne Byles, Hugh Parker, Susan Booth, Dawn Couling, Fiona Bristow, and Bill Woods.

Hire and other info on St Germans Priory Church for events:

The St Germans Priory Trust:   www.stgermanspriory.info

Hire of the Church Hall in Hessenford:  http://www.hessenford.net

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~   News and Events in the Parish   ~

We are starting to reintroduce our public events, whilst some continue online.

St Nic’s Lunches

Much progress has been made by Sandra Pearce and her team towards getting the lunches going again. The next event(s) is/are:

Community Lunch on Wednesday 18th May

Contact Sandra on 01503 250798 or email smpearce25@btinternet.com to book a space

As always, no charge, but donations welcome.

Zoom Pub Theology

Now running monthly

A chance to discuss ideas and thoughts about all matter of things theological.

After a short introduction of 5 minutes (or more), the conversation is open.

Meet via Zoom from 7.30 – 8.30pm first Monday of the month, starting June 7th

Topics:       TBA….please let Richard have any suggestions

For a Zoom link or enquiries or suggestions, ring Richard Laugharne (01503-230333) or email on richard.laugharne@nhs.net

All welcome! Click here to go back to top.

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2022 Events at St Germans Priory Church

Friday May 20th – Valley Voices Concert – 7.30pm

Sunday 5th June – May Tree Fair

Wednesday 22nd June – East Cornwall Bach Choir Rehearsal

Friday 24th June – St Barnabas Trust Schools

Saturday 25th June – East Cornwall Bach Choir concert

Friday 30th September – Evensong with Bishop Nicholas and Bishop Hugh.

Bell ringing practice every Thursday evening
Messy Church first Saturday each month